Urinary catheterization

In urinary catheterization, a urinary catheter, a slender tube, is pushed up a patient's urinary tract into their bladder. A balloon located at the end of the catheter is then usually inflated with saline solution to prevent the catheter from slipping out.

Common indications to catheterize a patient include urinary retention (acute or chronic) and any indication to accurately measure urinary output (for example, in cardiac patients undergoing diuretic treatment).

In some situations, incontinent patients are catheterized to reduce their cost of care, but this is not recommended because chronic catherization carries a significant risk of a urinary tract infection.

Catherization should be performed as a sterile medical procedure and should only be done by trained, qualified personnel, using equipment designed for this purpose.

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